It’s a boy: B.C.’s first baby of 2019 arrives at 12:01 a.m. at Royal Columbian Hospital

British Columbia is welcoming its first baby of 2019 and he didn’t wait long to ring in the new year.

Baby Dominik was born to parents Janet Shimizu and Lukasz Soswa at Royal Columbian Hospital at 12:01 a.m.

The eight-pound, three-ounce baby boy arrived after a full day of labour and an unplanned caesarean section.

“He’s amazing. He is actually quite quiet. He is already feeding really well,” Shimizu said.

“I feel great. From the time we got here until now everyone has been so lovely. I would do it again tomorrow.”

Shimizu went into labour at 8 a.m. on Dec. 31. But as time went on doctors decided the best way to deliver the baby was through C-section. Dominik is the couple’s first child.

Shimizu’s due date was set for January 1.

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“When labour started at eight I was sure it was going to be the 31st,” she said.

The couple was surprised to find out they welcomed the first baby of the year. Shimizu’s brother and sister-in-law were the first two visitors with grandparents planning to visit later on New Year’s Day.

WATCH HERE (aired January 1, 2018): B.C.’s New Year’s babies

1:58 B.C.’s New Year’s babies

Soswa is an orthopedic surgeon who works out of Langley. He says it was a little bizarre having to be outside of the operating room.

“When they were taking her for the C-section I was just following and they said, ‘No, no, no, you are just a dad today,'” dad said. “It was a little difficult.”

The dad already has big dreams for their newborn son saying he’s hoping he too will be a surgeon.

“He is going to pushed to be great. So this is start one,” he said. “The hospitals get pretty excited about this. As soon as he came out the nurses started calling around to find out if we were No. 1 and we were.”

The couple may have Shimizu’s mom to thank for the honour because her advice was to make sure their son would be the oldest kid in his school class not the youngest.

“Janet’s mom is a retired teacher so she stressed the importance or trying to push to 2019. We made sure we were walking extra slow when we were walking to the operating room,” Soswa said.

“When a teacher tells you to do something, you follow it.”

–With files from Tanya Beja